Device for use with headlights



Feb. 23 1926. 1,573,835

7 E T, HORSEY DEVICE FbR USE WITH HEADLIGHTS Filed Dec. 5, 1921 PatentedFeb. 23, 1926.

UNETED STATES PATENT GFFKIE.

EDGAR T. I-IORSEY, OF CLEVELAND, OHIO.

DEVICE FOR USE WITH HEADLIGHTS.

Application filed December customarily used upon automobiles.

One object of the invention is to provide a device which willeffectively prevent glare in connection with the use of headlights,while interfering to a minimum degree with the. efficiency of the lightstream projected from the lamp.

A further object is to provide a device which may be manufactured andsold at low cost. 1

Reference should be had to the accompanying drawings forming a part ofthis specification, in which Fig. 1 is a plan View of a deviceen'ibodying my invention; Fig. 2 is a plan view of a modifiedconstruction; Fig. 3 is a plan view of a co-operating sheet which isadapted to he used in preparing the form of the (levee shown in Fig. 2for use.

Referring to the drawings, 1 indicates a sheet of material forming thebody portion the device. The sheet may be made of paper or any suitablematerial as celluloid, isinglass, linen, cloth, in fact, any materialwhich may be made to assume sheet form. This dish is provided with anopening which opening lies entirely below a line passing through thecenter of the sheet 1 and the opening is disposed symmetrically withrespect to an axis which extends through the center and at right anglesto the first mentioned line. This opening is bounded by curved edges.The top of the opening may be described as a compound curve, while thelower edge of the opening is a simple curve. This opening of the formwhich is herein disclosed has been found particulariy efllcient for useas a glare preventing device in connection with headlights where thelamp furnishing-the light is in proper focus. The body of the sheet 1which surrounds the opening 2 is preferably translucent but nottransparent, or, in other words, light may pass through the body of thedisk 1. which surrounds the opening 2,

5, 1921. Serial No. 519,920.

but the glare will not be present. This arrangement desirable inasmuchas the whole surface of the headlight illuminated with the exception ofa shaded area which will be subsequently described, which gives a morepleasing el'i'e t, and iulditionally the light which passes through thetranslucent portion of the member 1 serves to throw a diffused light onthe road in front of the automobile which is suliieient for lighting theroad in the immediate vicinity of the front wheels.

At the upper part of the member 1 there is a band 3 which is relativelyopaque, this band estending a little short of here the material of whienthe member 1 is composed permits, it is advantageous to print the shadedarea 3 upon it.

At the lower half of the member 1 there are a series of concentric halfcircles such as indicated at 4;. These circles represent the principaldiameters of lens or glass fronts for headlights, which are mostgenerally in use. In preparing such a sheet as 1 for installation in aheadlight, the sheet is laid fiat and the glass or lens of the headlightis positioned over the sheet and is adjusted on the sheet until the edgeor circumference of the glass of the headlight coincides with its propersemicircle, as represented at When this is accomplished then the glassor lens may be used as a means for guiding a cutting instrun'ient fortrimming away the extra or excess material of the sheet 1 which wouldlie outside of the peripl'iery or edge of the glass.

After the sheet has thus been trimmed to the proper diameter then it iscaused to ad here to the inner face of the glass or lens of theheadlight.

This may be accomplished by having the surface of the sheet 1 preparedwith adhesive substance which upon being moist lJQfOIDOS in conditionfor attaching the sheet to the lens or glass, or on the other hand, asuitable layer of cement or other adhesive material may be applied tothe sheet or the glass at the time it is positioned on the lens orglass.

hen the sheet and the glass or the lens have thus been assembled, thesame is placed within the lamp and is ready for use.

In connection with this device, as in any other it is necessary that theelectric lamp bulb or source of light be adjusted so that: it is as nearthe correct focus as is possible to get the same, but assuming that thesource of light is correctly focused, then the .rays of light reflectedby the reflector will in a diffused way pass through a portion of. thedevice, that is to say, the translucent portion surrounding the openingtube.

Additionally, the light which directly will strike against the innerportion of the disk 1 will again be reflected and a part of the same,together with a portion of the light directly reflected'by the reflectorwill pass out through the opening 2, thus forming a direct beam 01'light which projects in front of the headlight for a considerabledistance, while the diffused light passing through the translucentportion of the disk 1 will illuminate in the immediate vicinity of theheadlight.

In Fig. 2 the same form of disk 1 with its opening 2 and opaque strip 8is shown, but in this form there are no circle or peripheral lines suchas indicated at .4.

These lines are omitted in the modification shown because in certaininstanres some of the lines willshow through the ot' a headlight wherethe form of device as shown in Fig. 1 is used. That is to say, where thediameter of the glassis greater than the.

diameter of the smallest circle such as indicated at 4.

In the form of device which isshown in Fig. 2 this contingency iseliminated.

At 5 is indicated a sheet which is provided with a plurality or quartercircles, such. as indicated at 6, and each of these quarter circles isof a different diameter. The sheet is also provided with an area 7 whichis bounded by curved lines of precisely the same form as the opening 2.V

In preparing the sheet 1 which is customarily provided to be slightlygreater than the largest diameter of gass or lens customarily in use,the sheet 5 is overlaid on the sheet 1 sothatthe enclosed portion 7corresponds and registers with the part Then the "glass is laid upon thesheet 5 and the periphery of the glass is brought into registration withthe quarter circle corresponding with its diameter. lVhen this is donethe excess material of the sheet 1 and incidentally of the sheet 5 istrimmed away by a suitable sharp instrument. The sheet 5 can then beremoved, and thus the sheet 1 is trimmed to be of proper diameter andmay be secured to the glass or lens of the headlight by means of anysuitable adhesive which adhesive may have been previously applied at thetime when the sheet l is made up, or may be directly applied at the timeof its usage. As stated earlier in the specification, the disk may bemade of any material. Paper has been found to be a very suitablesubstance from which to make the disk, although no limitation isintended in this respect. Where paper or cloth is used it will beadvisable to waterproof the same.

Having desi'ribed my invention, I claim z- 1. A device of the characterdescribed comprisinga disk-like member adapted for association with theopen end of a reflector said disk having an opening through it whichopening lies below the transverse center line or" the disk said openinghaving a curved periphery at the portion which is remote from the centerof the disk and having a compound curved periphery at the portion whichis adjacent the center or the disk, the. portion of the disk surroundingthe opening being translucent but not transparent, said d sk having anarc-shaped band and a portion thereof which is oppositely disposed withrespect to the opening, said arc-shaped band being opaque to the passageof light.

2. A device of the character described comprising a disk-like memberadapted for association with the open end of a reflector sait diskhaving an opening through it which opening lies below the transversecenter line of the disk said opening having a curved periphery at theportion which is remote from the center of the disk and having acompound curved periphery at the portion which is adjacentthe center ofthe disk, the portion of the disk surrounding the opening beingtranslucent but not transparent, said disk having an arc-shaped band anda portion thereol which is oppositely disposed with respect to theopening, said arc-shaped band being opaque to the passage ot light,aportion of said. disk adjacent the periphery being provided .with aplurality of concentric lines which are arcs of circles for the purposeof positioning the said sheet upon a glass or lens of a headlight.

In testimony whereor" l hereunto atiix my signature.

EDGAR T. HORSEY.

